TV cook Nigella Lawson still a favourite with travelling families
TV cook Nigella Lawson might be in the news for all the wrong reasons this week, but she’s the celebrity most families would like to travel with them on holiday.
The desire for good food was stronger than the need for eye candy, it seems, as families taking part in the Esprit Sun survey said they would prefer to travel with Nigella than David Beckham. 22% voted for the cook, whose husband was this week cautioned by police after photos of him grabbing her round the neck were published in a national newspaper.
Football superstar Beckham would be families second choice, winning 21% of the votes, followed by heart-throb actor Brad Pitt and self-styled Super Nanny Jo Frost, who came equal third with 12% of the votes.
Oddly Stephen Fry came next with one in 10 choosing to travel with the erudite TV celeb, and London Mayor Boris Johnson followed with 7%.
On a more serious note, Esprit – which has a new beach-based summer sun programme launched this year – reckons only 48% have already booked their summer holiday this year, with the remaining 52% yet to make up their minds as to where and when to go.
Of those that had already booked, 20% were staying in the UK, with Spain (14%), France (11%), Italy (8%) and Croatia (3%) showing families’ preference for the convenience of European shorthaul when travelling with small children. Long haul favourites however included 5% heading to the Caribbean, 3% to America and 2% to Egypt.
The growth in the importance of online and social media was powerfully re-confirmed, with 81% of families saying they researched their holidays "primarily" on-line, even if they subsequently booked by telephone or through a travel agent.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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